TripAdvisor Reviews
GOOD
45 reviews on
Jocelyn
December 30, 2022.
Serene hillside villas with spectacular views
Karuna villas are perched on a hill in Corong Corong south of El Nido town with spectacular views of the bay. The staff is very friendly and helpful, particularly Sarifa, Angie and Rod. We were welcomed with drinks and were given a complimentary bottle of wine, maybe because it was Christmas but we so appreciated the extra touch. The villa is Indonesian style with a kitchenette, outdoor bath area and balcony. The dining room is next to the pool and served a delicious mis of Filipino and western foods. It is near Vanilla beach and Las Cabanas beach zip line. There is a free shuttle to El Nido town. We would definitely stay here again when we return.
Cassie T
December 26, 2022.
Quiet and out of town was paradise in our books
Quiet and out of town but you can walk to El Nido town in 20 mins. they also have free shuttle to town (took us into town many times over our 7 day stay). We loved the location and views (took many photos). There is a beach at the bottom of the road and cross the road, but we preferred the hotel pool and used the pool a few times.The room was spacious and clean and we used the balcony for quiet time.There is an outdoor shower and 1 tucked away from view so best of both worlds.Be prepared to use many steps from your bungalow and up to breakfast as it is built on side of steep hill. We didn't mind this but others may not like. Also they will pick you up when you first arrive because steep driveway to Reception. No good local swim beach or beach with views but for that, go to Nacpan Beach 15 mins scooter ride away.Staff always helpful and say good morning. We will come back to Karuna El Nido
Murray L
December 17, 2022.
Excellent Choice, Enjoyed Our Stay
We stayed at Kurana for five nights during our 28 days in the Philippines. Most enjoyable.A huge thank you to Helmut and all his team for making our stay memorable.The views from various vantage points around the complex are wonderful, and we were lucky to catch several amazing sunsets.We made use of the free transfers to and from town, important as local tuk-tuks will not take guests to the hotel but rather drop them at the junction of the hotel access road. It would be beneficial if the intercom at the junction was functional.As others have written WiFi can be sporadic and power cuts are not uncommon. But to be fair during our five islands trip we encountered these issues in other locations as well. I am delighted to recommend the hotel to all.
Daisy D
November 30, 2022.
Beautiful, idyllic
Thoroughly enjoyed our very comfortable stay at Karuna villas, staff were very friendly and we loved the location and the room. PROS:Large room and terrace Comfortable bed Large selection at breakfast, freshly cookedFree transfer to and from town was very efficient WhatsApp communication is convenient (but only when tourists have wifi which is sporadic)Blackouts dealt with quickly Clean Very reasonably priced CONS:Be aware that tourists won’t have wifi all the time so don’t rely too heavily on WhatsApp commsWeren’t sure which room we were staying in and changed last min No intercom at the bottom of the hill to the hotel (we had been travelling for two days solid at this point and were extremely tired!) Random noises coming from ceiling can be alarming in the middle of the night We would recommend not taking the shared van transfer option and spending the extra to go private. As female travellers, being ushered into a van, collecting more passengers than the van was designed for with no communication and taking 3 hours longer than advised (from PP airport) was uncomfortable. We would have appreciated it if we had been advised by the hotel what to expect as this was an unfamiliar concept to us and caused some distress. All in all we would definitely return to Karuna and very much enjoyed our stay.
mshinnenkamp
November 21, 2022.
Amazing Unique Property - Highly Recommend
Overall, our favorite place we stayed during our trip through the Philippines. We stayed in B Joglo Family 1. Instead of having a typical hotel room type property, this allows you your own little building to enjoy that makes you feel like royalty. The room itself is very nice, clean, with a beautiful view over the water. The rest of the property is nice as well. The infinity pool is nice with an amazing sunset view. We ate at the restaurant most nights because the food was great. The service from all of the staff was fantastic (Thanks Anjie!).Only a few potential drawbacks I'll mention incase they're a bigger deal to you. First, the bathroom is not air conditioned. Not a huge deal to me, but definitely can be uncomfortable going to the bathroom or going through your morning routine. Second, the internet is not good, but I'm pretty sure that's going to be the case wherever in El Nido. Third, I'd skip any cocktails. We tried a few and none were good (go for a fruit shake instead!). Finally, the property isn't on a beach, but up on the hill. This was good for us, as the pool is nice and we island hopped during the day to get our beaches.In summary, you should definitely check it out if you can!
Ronald San Miguel
November 13, 2022.
Birthday celebration and Family vacation
We had a great time staying at Karuna resort from Nov 10-13, 2022. Their staff were very hospitable and thoughtful. Special mention to Angie who was very proactive in providing assistance to my family. She even arranged my family's appointment at the Canopy Walk to ensure that we won't be late on our trip back to Manila. Also to Ariel who fetched us several times going back to the resort after our island hopping activities. Pre-arranged breakfast were also prepared timely. Highly recommended!
Karis C
October 16, 2022.
WE LOVE KARUNA
We absolutely loooveeeedd our stay at Karuna! This was our first time to El Nido and the view from the hotel was absolutely stunning. After seeing the island we thought the location of this resort was ideal compared to the other hotel options we had considered. The rooms were very clean, spacious and had everything you could need. The staff was sooo friendly and VERY hospitable, they were able to assist us with everything we needed and recommended the best island tours, places to rent motor bikes, kayaks, etc. The restaurant in Karuna was incredible. The food was reasonably priced, even discounted when you are a hotel guest. We did not have a meal that we did not love. Thank you so much to the hotel staff who were all amazing, complements to the chefs and thank you to the housekeepers who were so kind and friendly.
Louise J
September 25, 2022.
Beautiful views and rooms
Really pretty and spacious room. One minor downside was that the shower was only very hot or cold, not warm - but we weren't staying long and the hotel said that maintenance would check it when we told them on checkout.Fantastic views from the room's balcony and from the restaurant. Restaurant's food was good, with really great cocktails.Really useful free car/tricycle service into the town. (Be aware airport transfers to El Nido airport do incur a small fee - about 1500 pesos.)The hotel also helped us arrange tours of the area.Being able to WhatsApp the front desk was also incredibly convenient.
Rabiyah K
September 15, 2022.
Amazing place to stay!
My husband I stayed at Kurana Juglo 4 for our honeymoon trip and we loved absolutely every minute! The rooms were stunning, very clean and spacious. The staff here are amazing and are always going out of their way to make us comfortable, especially Anj who helped find our lost luggage all the way from Palawan airport. The food is brilliant here too and we loved the free tuktuk rides to the town centre. Thank you for your hospitality, we hope to visit again one day!
Google Reviews
EXCELLENT
81 reviews on
Michelle Tegelbeckers
January 3, 2023.
Beautiful place & clean rooms. Will totally recommend it! You need to be mobile, as you need to walk some stairs. Only thing for us, was that breakfast took long (-+40 minutes), so if you go on a trip, go on time for your breakfast.
Nida Noorani
January 2, 2023.
Amazing stay! Don’t think twice about booking
Pros:
Hospitality was incredible
Views were outstanding
The room amenities were great
The place is up the hill but they have great transportation service to get you where you need to go
Cons
The Wi-Fi was a little weak but to be expected when you go to such a remote part of the world (and eventually things load so unless you are trying to have a zoom call here you will be fine!)
Cindy Tan
December 29, 2022.
Wonderful room, offers Netflix, free ride back and forth from town 7am to 10pm. Fair warning that the place is rather steep, upslope and downhill. The bathroom is outdoor so we were joined by huge lizards, gecko, bat, and one night a toad and a cat. During the time we were there, it kept raining so we couldn’t enjoy much of their outdoor balcony etc. They offer amazing breakfast though I think, in general, the staff could smile a little more.
Christine B.
December 6, 2022.
Perfekt!! Das Personal war super bemüht und das Zimmer war ein absoluter Traum. Wer möchte, kann sein Frühstück aufs Zimmer geliefert bekommen. Was sehr cool ist, dass die Kommunikation mit der Rezeption per WhatsApp funktioniert. Wenn man vom Zimmer abgeholt werden möchte, Essen bestellen will oder eine Frage hat, kann man sich einfach per WhatsApp melden. Sehr modern und super easy. Es gibt kostenlose Transfers in die Stadt oder wo auch immer hin und auch wieder zurück zu Karuna. Die Zimmer sind sehr schön gestaltet und extrem sauber, das Bett ist super groß und es gibt eine Klimaanlage. Das Essen ist fantastisch. Wir würden jederzeit wieder einchecken!
Chelsea Prehn
December 4, 2022.
We had a lovely stay at Karuna! The property is beautiful, and the staff are very friendly and accommodating. It was kinda neat to be just outside of town with such a tranquil vibe and amazing view!
loicsou
December 2, 2022.
Amazing stay in Komglo 1. Food was delicious and fairly priced. Really enjoyed our experience there. The view on Bacuit Bay is great.
STEPHEN Puricelli
December 2, 2022.
First, the view from any villa is beyond words, spectacular does not suffice. We visited all the unoccupied villas for our next trip. Next, the villa is private, no noise from next door guests at most hotels. Next, the property inside and out is well maintained and clean. Next, the little things that put it over the top, like artwork, decorations, etc. are present. We also own a hotel in New York and notice. Next, the shuttle is available anytime for no charge. Next, the location is close to town but not too close, so guests don't get the associated noise. Next, the breakfast is not a token, it's a real meal with anything on the menu for free. Next if you are a first time visitor to the Philippines you will learn that blackouts occur often, like daily- or nightly. Never understood why they call them brownouts because the power never diminishes, it stops 100%. Every time there was a blackout, including those at 3 am, within 2 minutes, the staff had restored full power with their onsite behemoth generator. Next, given what you get, the price is quite reasonable. Last but not least, the staff is well trained, gives excellent advice for area attractions/ dining and is very friendly. The Karuna cannot take credit for this, but I have visited more than 25 countries and been to the Philippines 26 times and El Nido is truly magical.